Percussion musical instrument



June 29, 1937 H H 2,085,363

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. 6, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles Hultsch,Elkhart, Ind., assignor to C. G. Conn, Ltd, Elkhart, 11161., acorporation of Indiana Application September 6, 1934, Serial No. 742,894

6 Claims.

My invention relates to percussion musical instruments of the Xylophonetype, commonly referred to as marimba-xylophones, i. e. instrumentshaving rigid-bar vibrators arranged generally in the manner of a pianokeyboard.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a percussionmusical instrument in which each tone bar is a dual tone bar unitcomposed of a pair of tone bars, one of which is an octave lower thanthe other, and each of which units is preferably of substantially thesame horizontal dimensions as the single bar as heretofore used, so thatthe instrument can be played the same as a standard instrument but witheach tone doubled an octave higher, thus giving a greatly enriched tone.

Another object of the invention is to provide a percussion musicalinstrument in which each tone bar is a dual unit with a resonator foreach bar of the two bars of the dual unit, and in which one of the barsof the dual unit is pitched an octave lower than the second bar.

A third object is to provide a percussion musical instrument having tworows of tone bars to effect the chromatic scale, and wherein each tonebar is a dual unit composed of two spaced tone bars, one of which is anoctave lower than the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a percussion musicalinstrument having two rows of dual tone bars to effect the chromaticscale, each dual tone bar being composed of two bars pitched indifferent octaves, and wherein each dual tone bar has a pair ofdifferent sized resonators associated therewith. Preferably the largerresonator is mounted to cooperate with both bars, and the smaller onecooperates only with the bar of higher pitch.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide a percussionmusical instrument in which each tone bar is a dual unit composed of twoseparate spaced bars which are pitched an octave apart, and wherein tworesonators of different sizes are associated with each dual tone barunit, the smaller of said resonators being substantially the same size,or area, as the larger of the two resonators for the dual tone bar unitpositioned in the instrument one octave higher up on the scale.

In attaining the foregoing objects the two parts of each bar or unit arepreferably made of the same size and shape in their horizontaldimensions, the octave difference in pitch being secured by making onebar of each pair thicker than the other. This permits the playing of theinstrument by anyone skilled on a standard instrument, for example bydouble-headed mallets for striking the two parts independently andsimultaneously.

This construction, and other structural features and novel arrangementsuseful in securing the desired effects, will be apparent from thefollowing description of the illustrative embodiment shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a percussion musicalinstrument in which my invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the instrument showing some of the tonebar units broken away to disclose the resonator;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Figure 4 illustrates a fragment of a mallet for playing the instrumentillustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews on the drawmg.

L Referring now to the details of the drawing the letter A indicatesgenerally a supporting frame which may include the end bars I and 2suitably secured to the frame side bars 3 and 4 to provide a rigidstructure, and which may include also the g two intermediatelongitudinal frame bars 5 and 6 rigidly secured at their opposite endsto the frame end bars I and 2, the whole to support the tone bars andresonators of this musical instrument, as herein described.

The frame A, thus generally described, may be carried on a sub-structureB which may be provided with suitable legs. The frame A may include alsothe two end bars 1 and 8 rigidly connected with the end bars I and 2 inany suitable manner and which may be pivotally mounted at 9 in thesub-frame B, said mount forming no part of this invention.

My improved percussion musical instrument may comprise two rows of dualtone bar units, of which the front row is indicated generally by theletter C and the rear row by the letter D, the latter of which may beelevated somewhat above the former, the two rows thus arranged beingadapted to produce the chromatic scale. Each of the rows C and Dcomprises a plurality of dual tone bar units, or sets, each unit, orset, comprising a left hand tone bar l0 and a right hand tone bar llmounted adjacent and parallel with each other upon suitable brackets I2,I 2, the latter being carried by the frame side bars 3, 4, 5 and 6.Inasmuch as all of the several sets of dual tone bar units are ofsimilar construction it is believed that a description of one setthereof will sufiice.

Accordingly, the two bars l0 and II may be made of any suitablematerial, preferably wood, and may be made one half the width usuallyemployed for a similar musical instrument of the same size, each lefthand bar l9 being cut away at it on the underside thereof to pitch thetone thereof one octave lower than the tone produced by the bar i l ofsaid unit. Each dual tone unit, or set, which is composed of the twospaced parallel tone bars l8 and H, as described, has associatedtherewith a pair of tubular depending resonators Id and i5,respectively, which resonators are arranged in series beneath andlongitudinally of each dual unit intermediate the extremities thereof,and in which arrangement and combination the resonator Hi is associatedwith the bar EB, and resonator 55 with tone bar I l, the resonat r E ibeing larger or of greater area than the resonator if. The largerresonator [4 is ar ranged below both bars it and i i, and responds toboth of them, whereas the smaller resonator I5 is arranged below andresponds mainly to the higher pitched bar M.

It will be evident from the foregoing that there are two rows ofresonators for each row of tone bar units, or sets, the resonators Mbeing arranged in one row and resonators i5 in a separate adjacent row.The two series of resonators i l may be carried by a pair of spacedcarrier bars 5 6 and ii mounted in the frame end bars I and 2, and toand between which carrier bars said resonators may be secured in anysuitable manner. And the two series of resonators 55 may be carried by apair of spaced carrier bars l8 and I9 mounted in the frame end bars 5and 2 in any suitable manner, between which bars said resonators may besecured in any suitable manner.

All of the resonators i i and it may be the convcntional tubular metaltype having a closed lower end, and necessarily, both rows of theresonators i l and i5 vary in diameter and length in the extensionthereof up the scale of the instrument. And in this arrangement andconstruction of the resonators, any one of the smaller resonators I5 issubstantially the same size, or area, as the larger of the tworesonators for the dual tone bar unit which is positioned one octavehigher up on the scale.

The mallet used for playing my improved musical instrument is indicatedby the numeral 28 at 4 and it is provided with a pair of spaced heads 2!with which both tone bars iii and H, of any of the several dual tone barunits, or sets, are adapted to be simultaneously struck. The combinedtones of any two of the bars 26 and H is richly harmonious, especiallyenriching the tone quality of the lower pitched bar it by thus addingthe octave above the note produced thereby.

I am aware that details of construction may be varied through a widerange without departing from the principle of my invention, and Itherefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by any prior art.

I claim:

1. In a percussion musical instrument of the Xylophone type, thecombination of a plurality of dual tone bar units arranged in sequenceand constituting one or more octaves, the two bars of each dual tone barunit being adapted to be simultaneously struck by a single mallet, oneof the bars of each dual tone bar unit being pitched one octave belowthe other bar thereof, and resonators mounted below said sequence oftone bar units, one of the resonators associated with each unit beinglarger than the other and being arranged below both bars of the unit andthe smaller one being located below the higherpitched bar of the unit.

2. A percussion musical instrument of the Xylophone type comprising tonebar units each having approximately the same horizontal dimensions asthe corresponding single tone bar of a standard instrument as heretoforeused, and each comprising two bars arranged closely beside each otherand which are of different dimensions such that one is pitched an octaveabove the other, the units being arranged in a series such that the barson one side of successive units form a scale and the bars on the otherside form the same scale an octave higher than the first scale.

3. A percussion musical instrument of the Xylophone type comprising tonebar units each having approximately the same horizontal dimensions asthe corresponding single tone bar of a standard instrument as heretoforeused, and each unit comprising two bars arranged closely beside eachother and which are the same in their horizontal dimensions but whichare of different thicknesses such that one is pitched an octave abovethe other, the units being arranged in a series such that the bars onone side of successive units form a scale and the bars on the other sideform the same scale an octave higher than the first scale.

i. A percussion musical instrument of the Xylophone type comprising tonebar units each having approximately the same horizontal dimensions asthe corresponding single tone bar of a standard instrument as heretoforeused, and each unit comprising two bars arranged closely beside eachother and which are the same in their horizontal dimensions but whichare of different thicknesses such that one is pitched an octave abovethe other, the units being arranged in a series such that the bars onone side of successive units form a scale and the bars on the other sideform the same scale an octave higher than the first scale, together withresonators for the vari ous bars, the resonator of the higher-pitchedbar of each unit being the same as the resonator of the lower-pitchedbar of the unit an octave higher on the instrument.

5. A percussion musical instrument of the Xylophone type comprising tonebar units each consisting of two bars arranged closely beside each otherand which are the same in their horizontal dimensions but which are ofdifferent thicknesses such that one is pitched an octave above theother, the units being arranged in a series such that the bars on oneside of successive units form a scale and the bars on the other sideform the same scale an octave higher than the first scale, together withresonators for the various bars, the resonators for the lower pitchedbars of the units being arranged in one series relative to the lengthsof the bars and below the two bars of the respective units and theresonators for the higher pitched bars of the units being arranged inanother series differently arranged relative to the lengths of the barsand below the higherpitched bars of the respective units.

6. A unit for a Xylophone or the like comprising a pair of adjacent andparallel tone bars having the same horizontal dimensions and diiferingin thickness so that one is pitched an octave above the other, incombination with a large resonator below both bars and a smallerresonator below the higher-pitched bar.

CHARLES HULTSCI-Il

